A Late Summer Storm
by Alchemist Experiment
Summary: She was too new, too young and too sheltered to know what thunder was. For all her knowledge and learning, it was the simplest things she was unfamiliar with. Envy wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or amused. [Gen]


-1Disclaimer: Not mine, not making any money.

**Late Summer Storm**

The storm season was supposed to have passed. Envy glanced up at the sky with a scowl on his face, dreading the rain that was sure to come down at any moment. It would make movement difficult. A roll of not-so-distant thunder pulled a groan from the lean homunculus.

"What was that?"

"Eh?" He turned to look at his companion - the newest Lust - who was standing with a nervous expression on her exquisite face. What the hell was wrong with her? "It's thunder." He spoke as though she was supposed to know. It was easy to forget, when they were so new. She had never left their master's home before this, how would she know what thunder was?

"It's just weather noises," he explained with a shrug. Why did he always get stuck looking after the new ones? _Because there's no one else to do it_. Lust wasn't that bad. She was curious and attentive, and already her knowledge of alchemy rivaled most State Alchemist's. Too bad she couldn't actually use it herself. She was watching the sky now, her dark hair falling back from her face.

"It's gonna rain," Envy went on. "Come on, we'll wait it out in that cave." He jerked his head to the low cliffs that flanked them on the right. He didn't feel like sloshing through mud and wetness. It wasn't like they were in any hurry, anyway. They could spare a couple of hours waiting out the rain.

Lust followed after him silently, her skirt swishing against her legs. They ducked into the cave and Envy immediately stretched himself out, his legs extended and his arms stretched out behind his back.

"It's cold," Lust said, sitting beside him on the stone floor. Her arms were wrapped around her torso and she was shivering.

"Is it?" The cold had long since stopped bothering him. But Lust was still new, and her lingering humanity hadn't dropped from her completely. It would, soon enough. But he didn't feel like listening to her complain. "Alright, wait here a second."

It was easy enough to gather up a bit of kindling and drag it back for a fire. It started to rain as he slipped into the sheltering maw of stone. Another roll of thunder accompanied the wetness, loud and strong and echoing in the deep cavern.

"It's gonna be a big storm," Envy mused as he dumped the kindling on the ground. How the hell were they going to light them? These weren't things he ever needed to think about. Another reason he hated watching the new homunculi. They needed so damn much! At least she wouldn't be this way for long. "Here, stretch out your nails."

"What for?" But Lust did as she was asked, extending her lance-like nails.

"So I can get a damn fire going," Envy explained, striking a loose stone on her nails to get a spark. He left her there with the small fire, wandering further into the cave out of curiosity. There was evidence that vagabonds had used the place - tin cups lay littered about, the ashes of fires, an old blanket was cast aside against the wall. Whoever had been using the place as a home was long gone, thankfully. Envy had no desire to share the cave with a dead body, even for a few hours.

He glanced over his shoulder, looking at Lust who was huddled over the small fire. Had he ever been like that? So frail and _human_? He didn't like thinking about that. Sighing grumpily, he grabbed the blanket and brought it back to her.

"Here." He draped it over her shoulders and plopped back down next to her, stretching his legs out by the fire. The rain was coming down in sheets outside the mouth of the cave, but the small fire was giving off light and warmth and Lust was a quiet presence next to him.

"You know," Envy said, bouncing is foot and glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. "You're not so bad. Considering you're so new and pathetic, I mean."

Lust laughed, a low and husky sound.

"You're not so bad yourself," she said.


End file.
